Taj Weekes
Taj Weekes will perform during the official opening ceremony of the inaugural Virtual Youth Parliament on Climate Justice
A Little About Taj Weekes
Taj Weekes is a singer, musician and humanitarian activist, who hails from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. It is there that Taj took his first steps in music, but his life’s journey led him to New York where he formed the group Adowa, fulfilling his mission and releasing celebrated albums such as Hope & Doubt (2005), Deidem (2008), Pariah in Transit (2013), Love, Herb & Reggae (2016) and To All My Relations (2018), and his most recent album, his first solo production - Pause (2021). Pause is produced by Ziggy Coltrane (with arrangements by Kwame Heshimu), and the ten pieces reflect those past months that were spent in isolation and threw our world in turmoil – and much more.
​
Taj is an unwavering, energetic humanitarian, who founded his children’s charity, They Often Cry Outreach (TOCO). His efforts have garnered him the title UNICEF Champion for Children for Saint Lucia, where he implements and executes various programs designed to enrich the lives of Caribbean children. In 2016, Taj was conferred with the Les Pitons Medal Gold by the Governor General for his “tremendous commitment to service with his hands-on approach to implementing TOCO’s programs”. Taj Weekes’ active participation in TOCO’s programs is at the core of the Foundation’s success, a factor which has earned him recognition in various spheres. These include the International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals who conferred on him the distinction of Goodwill Ambassador (2007), the Brooklyn-based Saint Lucia House Foundation who awarded him with their humanitarian award (2012) and, UNICEF which officially appointed Weekes a Champion for Children in Eastern Caribbean (2013). In 2019, Taj Weekes was named a Brand and Goodwill Ambassador for Saint Lucia.
​
Taj has been at the forefront of climate and environmental activism and played an important role in the Caribbean’s ‘1.5 to Stay Alive’ civil society campaign. In 2015, in the lead up to COP 21, Taj participated in the first 1.5 to Stay Alive musical collaboration, and a few years later, he produced and performed in the second 1.5 to Stay Alive musical collaboration.
​
Taj Weekes can be summarized in three words: MUSICIAN. POET. HUMANITARIAN.
​
You can find out more about Taj Weekes on his website www.tajweekes.com